SAMHSA has awarded $5.6 million to strengthen the role of emergency medical services (EMS) personnel in rural America. Thirty-two grantees are receiving a total of $5.6 million. SAMHSA’s Rural EMS Training Grant will fund the recruitment and training of EMS personnel in rural areas, with a particular focus on addressing mental health and substance use disorders in emergency settings.
In addition to training EMS personnel to meet licensing and certifications requirements, each grantee will ensure personnel are trained on mental health and substance use disorders and care for people with such disorders in emergency situations. Recipients of this funding will also acquire emergency medical services equipment, purchase FDA-approved opioid overdose antidotes, and train EMS personnel on the use of those antidotes in cases of opioid overdose emergency response.